Shelomi Sanders Transfers To Colorado State University Pueblo
This will be her fourth college.
After playing basketball for two years at Alabama A&M University, Shelomi Sanders revealed that she is transferring to Colorado State University Pueblo for the upcoming school year.
She posted the news on her Instagram account, showing several pictures of her in uniform, posing with several people, including her father, NFL Hall of Famer and Colorado Buffaloes’ football head coach, Deion Sanders.
According to HBCU Gameday, this is the third time she has jumped schools. Shelomi Sanders started her collegiate career at Jackson State University when her father was the school’s head football coach. When Coach Prime left the school to join the University of Colorado Boulder, she followed her father. When she did not play much for the Buffaloes’ basketball team, she transferred to Alabama A&M.
Colorado State University Pueblo is a Division II school in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.
Shelomi Sanders played only 92 minutes over 15 games this past season. She shot 6-for-27 from the field and 4-for-20 from three-point range, for a total of 14 points for the season. On Dec. 7 against Miles, she scored eight points in 17 minutes while hitting two three-point shots.
In the previous season, she played in 26 games for Alabama A&M, averaging 1.2 points per game.
The Gazettereported that CSU Pueblo’s women’s basketball team had a 13-15 record last season.
Deion Sanders posted a message to his daughter on Instagram, “I’m so Proud of you, Babygirl! Yes, yes, yes. Thank you, Lord, thank you, Coach T. Johnson, Staff and all the wonderful ladies on the team I had the honor to meet today. We smiled all the way back to Boulder. God is Incredible! Coach I appreciate u man.”
Melania Trump Rejects ‘Lies’ Linking Her To Jeffrey Epstein In Unexpected Public Address
This is the first time the first lady has spoken about the Epstein controversy on camera, with staff members allegedly being aggressive about her knocking down the "defamatory" Epstein rumors.
In a rare public appearance, first lady Melania Trump spoke out against the “lies” tying her to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.
During her short April 9 speech at the White House, Trump demanded that the alleged lies linking her to “the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein” need to end. She claimed she was never friends with the disgraced financier but admitted she and her husband, President Donald Trump, were invited to parties from time to time. “To be clear, I never had a relationship with Epstein or his accomplice Maxwell. My email reply to Maxwell cannot be categorized as anything more than casual correspondence,” she said.
“My polite reply to her email doesn’t amount to anything more than a trial note.”
Trump then continued to shy away from being labeled as one of Epstein’s victims, and he wasn’t responsible for introducing her to her now-husband. She also claimed to have had “no knowledge of his criminal undertakings” and continued to push that images of her and Epstein were fake. “Numerous fake images and statements about Epstein and me have been circulating on social media for years now. Be cautious about what you believe,” Trump said.
“These images and stories are completely false. I’m not a witness or a main witness in connection with any of Epstein’s crimes. I have never had any knowledge of Epstein’s abuse of his victims. I was never involved in any capacity.”
According to NBC News, this is the first time the first lady has spoken about the Epstein controversy on camera, with staff members allegedly being aggressive about her knocking down the “defamatory” Epstein rumors and lies. Senior adviser Marc Beckman said, “Enough is enough. It is time for the public and media to focus on her incredible achievements as First Lady, the lives she has positively impacted, and her commitment to our nation,” Beckman said in a statement.
Before stepping away from the podium, the first lady urged Congress to act and give the Epstein survivors a public hearing. “Give these victims their opportunity to testify under oath in front of Congress with the power of sworn testimony. Each and every woman should have her day to tell her story in public, if she wishes, and then her testimony should be permanently entered into the Congressional Record,” she said.
“Then, and only then, we will have the truth.”
The statement comes as polls show members of the Republican Party, who hold the majority in Congress, have shied away from having any concern over Epstein matters. Data from a Marquette University Law School poll conducted before the January 30 document release showed that 50% of GOP members or Republican-leaning independents claim they heard of or read “a lot” about the Epstein files, compared with 72% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning voters.
While the president has yet to make a statement on his wife’s speech — outside of saying he has no clue about his wife’s statement prior to her delivering it — several members of Congress spoke out, thanking her for her leadership and urging colleagues to follow up on her requests. “Now is the time for Congress to act,” South Carolina Republican Congresswoman Nancy Mace wrote on X.
“Epstein was not alone. Several prominent male executives resigned from their powerful positions after this matter became widely politicized. Of course, this doesn’t amount to guilt, but we still must work openly and transparently to uncover the truth.”
However, some of Epstein’s alleged victims, Danielle Bensky, Annie Farmer, and relatives of the late Virginia Giuffre, dismissed her calls about the hearings and alleged lies. “First Lady Melania Trump is now shifting the burden onto survivors under politicized conditions that protect those with power: the Department of Justice, law enforcement, prosecutors, and the Trump Administration, which has still not fully complied with the Epstein Files Transparency Act,” the statement said.
“Survivors have done their part. Now it’s time for those in power to do theirs.”
Harlem Globetrotters Help Pope Leo XIV Spin Basketball on Finger
The team visited the Pope in Vatican City.
During a visit to Vatican City, the Harlem Globetrotters headed over to St. Peter’s Square and guided Pope Leo XIV in spinning a basketball on the tip of his finger.
A video from the Associated Press shows Leo XIV standing with members of the famed hoops squad at the Roman Catholic Church. As a player begins to spin the ball, he hands it off to the Pope and holds the pope’s finger as the ball continues to revolve.
The crowd, naturally, went wild.
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the traveling basketball team, who were enshrined in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002. Many players over the years have come from HBCUs, the NCAA (Divisions I, II, III), the NAIA, the NBA, and the WNBA. Among the famed alumni include Wilt Chamberlain and Curly Neal.
During the current season, which started in January, the team will visit over 200 markets in the United States and take their talents to over 125 countries, including France, the United Kingdom, and Mexico.
The Globetrotters recently announced a partnership with Keepsake Trading Cards for a limited-edition trading card set to be released this summer. It will be the team’s first trading card set in over 25 years.
“The collectible world continues to expand its reach, and this partnership with Keepsake gives us the ability to again find ways to connect with fans around the world in a very special way,” said Keith Dawkins, president, Harlem Globetrotters & Herschend Entertainment Studios, in a written statement. “The limited edition set will provide a surprise and delight for everyone and will be a really special way for fans of all ages to connect our past, present, and future.”
Remote Work Wins! Office for National Statistics Won’t Force Staff To Come To Office
Unions like the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) claim it's the first time an in-office mandate had been broken.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) lost a dispute after trying to mandate employees to come into the office a few days a week, the Daily Mail reports.
The two-year-long battle ended on April 8 after ONS finally gave in, but not before employees threatened to go on strike. Unions like the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) praised the “breakthrough,” claiming it’s the first time an in-office mandate has been broken.
“For the first time, a rigid office attendance mandate has been broken and replaced with a more sensible, flexible approach based on what actually works,” General Secretary Fran Heathcote said. “This has been a long campaign and reaching a deal members could accept reflects the determination of PCS members at ONS, the hard work of their reps and the value of trade unionism.”
The agreement eliminates the individual office-attendance policy, which required employees to come into the office 40% of the time. Instead, the new agreement only asks ONS employees to come to the office when there is a “clear, purposeful need.” Employees who don’t abide by the rules will only be disciplined in cases of “persistent and unreasonable non-compliance.”
“We want to see more staff coming into our offices, while also recognizing the unique challenges that the ONS has faced,” an ONS spokesperson said in a statment.
According to The Telegraph, ONS faced several data issues, including problems with the accuracy of the jobs market and inflation figures. In addition, the institution decided to cut back on some activities to focus on core national statistics. Such problems prompted PCS to launch a campaign with four ballots of members to oppose the in-office requirement.
With the new agreement in place, the union feels “it provides clarity and a more mature framework that supports effective collaboration and productivity, reflecting the wide variety of work that our staff undertakes.”
Companies have pushed forth efforts to force employees to return to the office, but with mixed results. Data show that remote work increases productivity and makes employees overall happier. A four-year study from the University of South Australia revealed that remote work not only improves productivity but also fosters better sleep, healthier eating habits, and a stronger work-life balance.
Chicago School Systems Transform School IDs Into Public Library Cards
On April 7, Mayor Brandon Johnson announced the completion of the Chicago Public Library rollout.
Every student enrolled in Chicago Public Schools now possesses a functional library card.
The gift is part of a citywide initiative to integrate school identification badges with the Chicago Public Library system. The program, known as the “81 Club” initiative, automatically activates the library accounts for approximately 315,000 students. Student ID numbers are linked to the city’s digital library infrastructure, eliminating barriers to literacy and educational resources, such as lost physical cards or the need for parental transportation to register.
On April 7, Mayor Brandon Johnson and Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez announced the completion of the Chicago Public Library rollout. Students will be able to use their existing school badges to check out physical books, media, and technology at any of the city’s 81 library locations. Students also have immediate access to extensive digital collections, including e-books, professional research databases, and online tutoring services.
“This partnership demonstrates my administration’s commitment to build a more equitable and thriving city by bringing all of the government together to invest in our young people,” said Mayor Johnson. “By removing barriers and connecting young people to learning opportunities in every neighborhood, we are helping to ensure that students have access to the resources they need in school and beyond.”
Celebrating the expansion of The 81 Club, this first-of-its-kind data-sharing agreement between @chipublib and the district puts the power of our city’s 81 public library branches directly in the hands of more than 315,000 CPS students, giving them instant access with their… pic.twitter.com/7XZbf9gK6J
— CPS – Chicago Public Schools (@ChiPubSchools) April 7, 2026
The collaboration seeks to address a persistent “library desert” effect in certain neighborhoods where students may lack easy access to a dedicated library. Making students’ School ID’s a universal access key ensures that students have a consistent connection to learning materials regardless of their geographic location or socioeconomic status.
“At Chicago Public Library, the library is the city’s most accessible out-of-school learning space,” said Chicago Public Library Commissioner Chris Brown.
Data from the Chicago Public Library indicates that early access to diverse reading materials is a primary indicator of long-term academic success. Library officials noted that previous pilot versions of this program showed a marked increase in digital resource use among middle and high school students, who often utilize the library’s online platforms for homework assistance and college preparation.
A significant component of the new system is the removal of financial penalties. To encourage consistent use without the fear of accumulating debt, the student accounts are not subject to late fines for overdue materials. This policy change aligns with the Chicago Public Library’s broader movetoward a fine-free model, which was implemented citywide in 2019, ensuring that low-income residents are not discouraged from using public resources, according to the Chicago Public Library Foundation.
The technological integration was a joint effort between the school district’s information technology department and library administrators. The teams worked to ensure that student data remains protected while allowing for a seamless transition between the school and library databases.
Entrepreneur Turns Her Healing Haven Into Wellness Retreat
Following the sudden death of her husband, Keisha Blair transformed a section of her family estate into a specialized wellness sanctuary. This move helped spark a global movement centered on personal resilience and financial stability.
Business Insider covered the “as-told-to” tale of Blair and the development of her retreat. The retreat, located in Jamaica, emerged from Blair’s personal journey of recovery at age 31 after her husband passed away, leaving her a young widow with two small children. To heal from her grief, she took a one-year sabbatical at the property she co-owned with her parents.
After her healing sabbatical, Blair focused on capitalizing on the property as a short-term Airbnb rental. Eventually, she began to focus on renovating the property to serve as a restorative space. The project involved converting parts of the estate into a retreat center that emphasizes Holistic Wealth. To Blair, the term defines a balance between financial security, physical health, and emotional well-being.
I came to Jamaica to grieve the loss of my husband. Now, I'm turning the home that helped me heal into a wellness retreat. https://t.co/jS3h5JnQS6
Keisha Blair turned a safe haven for herself in Jamaica into a retreat for others. Courtesy of Keisha Blair.
The design of the retreat leans heavily into the natural environment of the Blue Mountains. Blair curated the space to provide guests with an atmosphere free from the distractions of modern technology and the high stress of professional life. Beyond providing a place for rest, the venture serves as a centerpiece of Blair’s broader mission to educate others about financial and emotional recovery.
The villa’s success as a wellness destination reflects a significant shift in the travel industry. Modern tourists are increasingly seeking “transformational travel,” which focuses on self-improvement and long-term lifestyle changes rather than temporary relaxation. Blair’s property has become a leading example of this trend, particularly for women looking to regain their independence after significant life transitions.
Blair’s work in Jamaica has since expanded into a broader wellness ecosystem. Through this transition from a grieving spouse to a successful entrepreneur and author, Blair has demonstrated how personal loss can be channeled into a professional legacy. The villa stands as a testament to her belief that true prosperity is found in the ability to recover and thrive after life’s most difficult moments.
U.S. Fertility Rates Hit Record Low In 2025; Experts Cite Why Having Kids Has Become ‘Less Desirable’
The U.S. birth rate fell to a record low in 2025, with experts pointing to why starting a family has become “less desirable” among younger women.
New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows U.S. fertility rates reached a record low in 2025, with experts pointing to the reasons behind the decline.
The CDC released provisional data on April 8 showing U.S. birth rates have reached a new record low, extending a nearly two-decade decline, Reuters reports. Since 2007, the general fertility rate has dropped by nearly 23%. The trend mirrors global patterns, as fewer women are choosing to have children amid shifting social dynamics.
Phillip Levine, an economics professor at Wellesley College, credits the declining birth rate among younger women to “greater and more demanding job market opportunities, expanded leisure options, increased intensity of parenting… make the option to have children less desirable.”
The data, based on 99.95% of all birth records received and processed last year by the National Center for Health Statistics, a division of the CDC, as of Feb. 3, 2026, shows that the number of babies born in the U.S. in 2025 fell 1% from the previous year to about 3.6 million. The general fertility rate, measured as births per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44, also dropped 1% to 53.1. While birth rates have risen among women in their 30s and 40s over the past decade, those increases have not been enough to offset ongoing declines among women under 30.
Data show the fertility rate among women ages 25 to 29 declined about 4.4% in 2025, while the rate for women ages 30 to 34 increased roughly 2.7% from 2024. Teen pregnancy also continued to fall, with rates dropping 7% for those ages 18 to 19 and 11% for younger teens ages 15 to 17—both reaching record lows.
Fertility rates are declining across countries, research shows. Recent data from the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean’s latest Demographic Observatory show that Latin America now averages 1.8 children per woman—below the 2.1 replacement level needed to maintain a stable population. This marks a sharp shift from the 1950s, when women in the region had an average of 5.8 children.
At Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, sociologist Martina Yopo Díaz attributes the decline to the growing reality that “children, and reproduction more broadly, are playing an increasingly marginal role in the life plans of younger generations.”
Simone Cecchini, director of the Latin American and Caribbean Demographic Center at the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, said the shift has happened much faster than in Europe, even surpassing United Nations projections from two decades ago. Some places are already seeing the effects, with declining populations in countries like Cuba and Uruguay, as well as several Caribbean islands.
“According to our estimates, the total population of Latin America and the Caribbean will grow until 2053 and, from then on, will begin to decline on average,” Cecchini said.
Gen Z Leads Shift Workforce, Taking Up Over A Third Of Frontline Jobs In U.S.
Gen Z is taking advantage of work outside the traditional 9-to-5 to suit their goals.
Gen Z is taking over frontline jobs nationwide, holding a significant share of these shift-based roles.
Gen Z employees are steering away from traditional office dynamics and toward another sector of the workforce. A newly released study titled “The Big Shift 2026” explains the new trend of these younger workers finding freedom by clocking in.
The report was published April 7 by Deputy, a specialized staff scheduling and management software company. Its findings confirmed that workers born between 1997 and 2012 account for 41% of shift workers. This demographic accounts for the largest share of the work cohort, with millennials marginally behind at 40%.
While shift work was known for harsh hours, Gen Z has found benefits to working outside the traditional 9-to-5. Instead of feeling burdened by overnight hours, many Gen Z workers have taken advantage of the opportunity by using their daytime to fulfill other duties.
Deputy CEO Silvija Martincevic explained to Inc. how Gen Z is capitalizing on the dynamic of shift work. As Gen Z finds its footing in the healthcare, hospitality, and retail sectors, employers have taken note of its influence across industries.
“Gen-Z is not adapting to the old model, it’s reshaping it,” wrote Martincevic in emailed commentary. “For decades, shift work’s been designed around employer convenience, with fixed schedules and rigid hours. Gen Z is flipping that model on its head through micro-shifts, poly-employment, and work that fits around education and caregiving rather than competing with them.”
Since the dawn of remote and hybrid work, many Gen Z and even millennial workers have become poly-workers, holding multiple jobs to diversify their income streams. Although many traditional office jobs have returned to the office, this ideal has stuck with Gen Zers, who value the flexibility and financial freedom it offers, leading them to keep certain roles that allow this poly-work to persist.
“With Gen Z making up 55 percent of poly-workers, we see flexibility is a competitive requirement for today’s employers,” continued Martincevic. “Millennials are also undergoing their own generational transition in the workplace. Also making up a large share of the hourly workforce, they are moving into management roles. As the first generation that drove flexibility in the workforce, they are well-positioned to operationalize this shift even further.”
Furthermore, not every shift takes over the entire workday. Instead, many have grasped onto healthcare roles for their shorter shifts. This sector appeals to this generation because it allows them to showcase their unique skill set and human-focused values while still offering a strong work-life balance.
According to Martincevic, Gen Z also thrives in these roles due to their generational values. With an ingrained emphasis on self-care and wellness, Gen Zers can offer genuine care to patients. In turn, this mindset provides a better experience that builds trust and loyalty for companies as well.
Martincevic added, “Their preference for shorter, flexible shifts is helping hospitals and emergency services build more resilient teams, and their focus on well-being is showing up directly in patient-facing roles, where empathy and purpose are becoming as operationally important as efficiency.”
New Grants Target Preeclampsia’s Disproportionate Impact On Black Women In The U.S. And Canada
The joint initiative will award up to $85,000 to support researchers working to address preeclampsia and its disproportionate impact on marginalized communities.
The Preeclampsia Foundation has teamed up with Preeclampsia Foundation Canada to support emerging scholars researching preeclampsia, a pregnancy-related high blood pressure condition that disproportionately impacts Black women, who face a 60% higher risk than their white counterparts.
The organizations announced that they are accepting applications for the 2026 Vision Grant research funding program. The United States-based Preeclampsia Foundation will award two scientific research Vision Grants to study preeclampsia and related hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, with a special focus on health inequities. Each awardee will receive $20,000 USD. The Foundation’s Canadian affiliate, Preeclampsia Foundation Canada, will also award two Vision Grants: one focused on HELLP Syndrome, a severe form of preeclampsia, for up to $25,000 CAD and another focused on preeclampsia and health inequities among Black Canadians for up to $20,000 CAD.
“Black and Indigenous women in North America are more likely to develop hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and to have adverse outcomes,” Eleni Tsigas, Preeclampsia Foundation chief executive officer, said in a statement. “By focusing this year’s funding on research that includes and centers these highly affected populations, we hope to add to the body of research to better understand those connections, increase representation in our patient registry, and ultimately improve their outcomes.”
The Canadian Vision Grant is also known as the Maya B. Dash Vision Grant. The grant, funded by the Doane Grant Thornton Foundation, was created in honor of Cara Kernohan, who died of HELLP syndrome at 29 years old while 35 weeks pregnant. This grant will only be open to researchers in Canada.
Postdoctoral, clinical fellows, or early-stage investigators are eligible to apply. Proposed health equity projects will aim to better understand and improve outcomes for Black, Indigenous, and other underserved communities. International applications are welcome; however, submissions must be in English.
The application deadline is May 27, 2026. Winners will be notified of their awards in September 2026. For more information and application instructions, visit the Preclampsia Foundation website.
LA’s King/Drew Magnet High School Leads In Black Student Admissions To California Colleges
The magnet school in Los Angeles’ Willowbrook district has a student body that is nearly 50 percent Black.
The Class of 2026 at King/Drew Magnet High School of Medicine and Science has a major milestone to celebrate. This year, the South Los Angeles-based school made history by sending more Black students to the University of California system than any other school worldwide.
The students gathered for a special assembly to celebrate the milestone, during which Principal Reginald Brookens reflected on the school’s rich history. In 1966, in the aftermath of the Watts riots, the district established the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science to train medical professionals in the then-predominantly Black Willowbrook community.
“We needed medical professionals who looked like the community,” Brookens told ED Source.
The King/Drew Magnet School was founded in 1982 to promote equity in healthcare access by providing students with hands-on experience in medical settings.
Brookens noted that the students’ success rate is likely due to the school’s rigorous academic program, which exceeds the school district’s required standards. Brookens also noted that all students take four years of math and science and three years of a foreign language.
“We also offer over 25 AP [Advanced Placement] courses and honors courses, so they come out competitively eligible—everybody does,” Brookens said.
King/Drew alum Dr. Jarvis Givens offered insight into the school’s historic legacy.
“The legacy of King/Drew is that it teaches students that we have strengths and that we have resources that we need from the families that we come from, the community that we come from, and those are gifts that we have to empower ourselves and to offer gifts to the world, “ The Harvard professor told Fox 11 News, Los Angeles.
“We hold high expectations for ourselves within our communities with people who look like us, with people who love us, and that’s the standard, that’s the norm,” Givens noted.
According to Ed-Data, King/Drew maintained a 100% graduation rate in 2024-25 and has consistently exceeded 95% since the 2020-21 academic year. The student body is nearly 100% Black and Latino, with each group comprising roughly half of the student body.
